Transcoding WMV (non-"seekable")

[Tolwyn]

I have unprotected WMV files that I'm trying to transcode to MPEG2 using TMPGEnc.

Most of my WMV library works perfectly, but I've noticed the WMV files without the ability to "Seek" (is this a keyframe thing?) cannot be transcoded. I've tried a few applications.

Is there an application that can "fix" these WMV files?
Is there a step I'm missing?

[AlanHK]

For MPEG2 files with timing issues (wrong running times shown, chapter marks off, etc) , I find MPEG-VCR's "GOP fixer" tool often works. It's non-lossy. Or just opening it and saving under a different name without changing any parameters should also rewrite the time codes.

Possibly running it through Restream might do the trick as well; that's freeware.

[Tolwyn]

I'm not having any timing issues.
What I mean to say is that they won't transcode... at all.

It's like they "Lock up" TMPGEnc. Or only get through the first few seconds.

I'm going to try ASFTools to see if the WMV files are somehow corrupt, or the fact that they are "live" and not "seekable" is the key. I mis-typed my first forum search and only after I posted this thread found some information...

[Alex_ander]

I had such a file (old WMV7) and couldn't repair its seekability with ASFTools. Only restreaming it in Windows Media Encoder to WMV8 at higher bitrate helped, then it worked properly in my MPEG encoder.

[cd090580]

Did you try with avisynth, I ave a lot of success with all kind of wmv even those saved from live streams which are not seekable.

I use a script like that:

DirectShowSource("path\to\file.wmv")  #add fps=<fps of the file> if avisynth displays an error message.

You can now read it with TmpgEnc or any other program

[surf-monkee]

i too have some WMV that wont seek, i have used SUPER to convert to VCD compliant and burn to VCD and play them that way.

SUPER is a brilliant program, it always works for me, but I have read that some peeps hate this freebie program cos it stuffs up and wont run

Its not an ideal answer but it has worked

[Seeker47]

Hope I'm not inadvertently veering off-topic here, but the WMV files repair or conversion tools I've read descriptions for all seem to require installation of WMFDIST (which sounds like some kinda DRM thing), before they will work. True / False ? If generally true, are there any such tools that do not ?

[Tolwyn]

I don't know. My WMV files are DRM free.

DRM is the work of satan.

[Relayerman]

I don't have the actual link handy, but Microsoft offers a Windows Media repair utility for free at the Developers section on their website. After some attempts at using ASFTools, which didn't always work, I tried the MS tool and it worked like a charm and quickly too. You may have to search their site some to find it. Its more of a tool for folks who want to convert to WMV format, but part of the toolkit is the repair stuff.

Relayerman